1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to mechanical drive systems and more particularly to such systems having application to vehicles and especially to manually driven light vehicles such as bicycles, and including stationary exercise equipment.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Drives are known for human powered vehicles, such as bicycles, wheelchairs and the like. Such drives are typically rotary and transmit motion from a manually driven crank, such as through foot-operated pedals, to a driven wheel of the vehicle, normally the rear wheel. A variety of drive sprocket mechanisms are known such as the well known and widely used conventional nested gears with a chain derailleur. Further, various types of ratcheting gear drive mechanisms are known. Drives are also known which are hand-operated to derive unidirectional motion from one or more reciprocating handles, each providing a single power stroke, such as when a handle is pushed or pulled in one direction but is free-wheeling in the opposite. In the prior art case where there are two handles, each of the handles provides a power stroke in only one direction and freewheels in the other, thereby producing a power stroke sequentially.
Jones, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,370 discloses a human-powered, ride-on vehicle, including a main longitudinal frame member having a steering/drive mechanism mounted thereon for oscillating movement; a driven rear wheel having an axle, a rear sprocket operatively fixed to the rear wheel for coasting; a pair of spaced apart, steerable front wheels located adjacent to one end of the main longitudinal frame member and operatively connected to the steering/drive mechanism. The steering/drive mechanism includes: a teeter arm mounted to the main longitudinal frame member intermediate the ends thereof for pivoting movement in a fore direction and an aft direction; a drive mechanism including first and second drive linkages, wherein the first drive linkage provides a motive force to the driven rear wheel during a first power stroke and the second drive linkage provides a motive force to the driven rear wheel during a second power stroke, and wherein, for equal movement of the teeter arm in the fore and aft directions.
Jolly U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,350 discloses a hand operated wheel chair or exercise machine. The machine uses two racks to operate two one way clutches to furnish forward motion from both the forward and backward strokes of the input lever arm. The mechanical advantage of the input lever arm is readily changeable to affect the overall gear ratio of the drive. Steering is accomplished by turning a wheel on the lever arm. The control is similar to that on a wheel controlled airplane.
Myers, Sr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,045 discloses a drive device for a bicycle. The drive comprises a drive wheel assembly having two drive shafts and a drive wheel with dual ratchet assemblies, a vertical frame for mounting the drive wheel assembly in frictional engagement with the bicycle front tire and connected to a first horizontal bar, a vertical frame extension connected to the first horizontal bar. A second horizontal bar is attachable to a bicycle's handle bars. A pair of handles are slidably mounted on the second horizontal bar which is attached to a cable and pulley system that engages the drive wheel assembly. The system is capable of driving the device by reciprocal motion along the second horizontal bar wherein the motion of the handles causes the drive wheel, and hence the bicycle's front tire, to rotate.
The related art described above discloses human propelled, light weight vehicles with hand or foot actuated drive mechanisms. However, the prior art fails to disclose such a vehicle with separate left and right hand lever operated drives wherein both forward and backward movement of each hand lever produces forwardly directed propulsion of the vehicle. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary.